White Christmas
by Awela
Summary: Kurt Hummel doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas anymore. He hates snow, he hates Christmas music, he hates Christmas trees... Until his accidental encounter with New York's weirdest young man. Is the Christmas-loving Blaine Anderson able to change Kurt's mind about the holidays and warm his frozen heart? Written for the Klaine Christmas Eve Challenge.


**Written for grlnxtdr29's Klaine Christmas Eve Challenge. My themes were 'white Christmas' and 'Christmas trees'. The story was inspired by the Glee episode 'Glee, Actually' (4x10) and includes a lot of small things I adore in this period of the year. Because I still believe in the magic of Christmas.:)**

 **Merry Christmas!**

 **White Christmas**

 **In which Kurt gets a reminder of how magical Christmas can be.**

White Christmas. That was how Kurt Hummel remembered the most important period of the year from his childhood. He remembered buying the Christmas tree with his mother, bringing it home, decorating it before his dad had gotten home from work, and then the three of them had gone outside to see the Christmas lights. Kurt loved them probably since his birth. That time of the year when everything had seemed magical. When everything had seemed possible.

The best part was the snow, of course. As a small child, Kurt had loved being out there, building snowmen and getting lost in snowball fights with his parents. He had loved going home after that, changing clothes and curling up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands while watching the flames in the fireplace. As Kurt had gotten older, their Christmas traditions had changed. Mostly because of the death of his mother, their holidays had become simpler. The snow seemed to take over their depressed mood as well, because after his mother's death, there had been no more white Christmases in his life. Other things had become important and Kurt had forgotten how magical those simple things had made his holiday once.

Until the day that changed everything.

As a famous Broadway actor, Kurt had little time for the beauties of life. He got stuck in the everyday routine, he went to work, then home, spent some time alone and slept. He worked a lot and didn't think about how different things might be.

When Christmas was coming up again, people became excited. They bought presents, planned the menu for the holiday. Anywhere he went, he bumped into a crowd and it frustrated him. He couldn't understand why people did this to themselves, and most importantly, to people who didn't believe in the magic of Christmas anymore. It would have been so much easier without forcing his way through the crowd every single day. It made Kurt so tired.

Snow was a luxury in New York these days. It was always too warm in the city, even when it snowed, it soon turned to a disgusting dirty mess and then it melted away. It wasn't about peace and wonders of the nature, just something annoying he sometimes had to deal with. When Kurt noticed the first snowflakes the day before Christmas, he sighed. He hoped that it wouldn't cause him too much trouble, not right now when he wasn't in the mood to see people sleighing and building snowmen. Or just see people happy at all. He didn't hate people, it was just…

It was what he had lost.

Kurt sighed as he stepped to the window to see if it stopped snowing. His eyes landed on the huge white snowflakes that kept falling from the sky like feather flakes. He smiled bitterly. His mother had told him that story about angels losing feathers, then the other one about Mother Holle. Kurt had believed both of them and had begged his mother to tell him those stories over and over again. Everything had seemed so easy as a child. Everything had seemed possible.

Kurt looked at the children on the street next. Of course they were out there, running from one house to the other as if the cold didn't bother them at all. He closed his eyes and listened to the noises coming from outside. Laughing. That was the loudest. The pure sound of happiness. He felt something warm spreading in his chest, something he hadn't felt for years. Maybe the snow wasn't that bad after all.

He didn't think, just let his body move automatically. He walked back into the hall, grabbed his coat, a warm scarf, got into his boots and walked out of the house. There was that coffee shop nearby with flavored drinks. They had a special Christmas edition that smelled great and he decided to try it. Maybe it would help him feel that warmth again. It was a good feeling and he just realized how much he needed it. Just a small reminder of the good old days.

He hummed happily as he took a sip of his coffee and stepped out of the coffee shop. It was great. Sweeter than his usual drink, probably full of sugar, but who cared? It was simply wonderful. Like the gingerbread he had baked with his mother. The coffee kept him warm and he didn't want to go back home anymore. It was still snowing, the streets were all white, the air was filled with music and laughing and Kurt was sure that he would be lonely at home. He didn't want to miss this moment, not when it let him feel something good he thought he had lost so many years ago. He just couldn't leave right now. So he decided to take a walk and see what this Christmas held for him. Maybe he could change, maybe he could leave his past behind and be happy for the holidays like most people did. Maybe he wouldn't feel so alone anymore. It was crazy to think that some snow would change everything but Kurt let himself believe, even if it didn't last too long. He didn't want to become that old gruff man who yelled at children for playing in his garden. He had to do something about it, because now he was exactly on the way to…

Bang!

Something huge and green hit him right into his face and Kurt fell. The paper cup fell from his hand and the coffee spilled over his expensive coat, soaking it right over his chest. Kurt hissed as he felt the warm liquid burning his skin. It wasn't hot enough to injure him but warm enough to make him uncomfortable. Not to mention that his clothes were all wet, smelled like gingerbread and Kurt was pretty sure that he wouldn't be able to clean them out. It was his favorite coat and somebody had just ruined it.

Still lying on the ground, Kurt pushed himself up to his elbows and glared at the thing in front of his eyes. A Christmas tree. How ironic. Just because he hated Christmas, there was no reason to…

A pale face popped up behind the tree. Kurt's eyes left the tree and focused on the face instead. It was a nice face with full lips, bright golden eyes, framed with shiny dark curls. It was a boy, no, a young man, probably around his age. Only didn't have the signs of grief and weariness under his eyes.

"God, I'm so sorry" the man said.

"What the hell happened?" Kurt asked because he wasn't sure if it was real. Maybe he had hit his head, he wasn't sure.

"I guess I hit you with my tree" the man said in a small voice.

Kurt's eyes landed on the tree again. Right. The man probably hadn't seen him and bumped right into him. Since he had carried a huge tree in his arms, he had sent Kurt to the ground with just one move. And ruined his clothes. That was absolutely unacceptable.

"You ruined my clothes" Kurt told him.

The man's eyes widened as he took in the scene in front of him. Kurt was still lying on the ground, with a brown patch on his coat, the paper cup right beside him.

"Let me help you…" the man started and reached out towards Kurt with one hand, but he wasn't able to pull him up to his feet and hold the tree, too. It started to fall, so the man grabbed it with both hands again and smiled awkwardly. "I-I forgot about the tree."

"I see" Kurt muttered.

The man pushed the tree to the wall and when he was sure that it would stay in place for a while, he turned back, grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him up to his feet. He reached out with one gloved hand and tried to brush the coffee off of Kurt's coat. Kurt glared at him again. Either this man was a lunatic who enjoyed touching his victims or simply stupid to think that Kurt would appreciate his attempt to clean his clothes. He didn't seem dangerous, so it was probably the latter.

"It's not helping" the man came to the conclusion.

"Of course not. As I said, it's ruined" Kurt said. "And now I have to go home in wet clothes, probably catch the cold and spend the holidays in my bed. Thank you for that."

"It was an accident!" the man said, seemingly desperate to make things better. "I live just up there. Come with me, I can give you another coat…"

"Do I look like someone who goes with strangers?" Kurt asked.

The man blinked in surprise.

"I'm Blaine" he said suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"My name is Blaine" he said again. "See? I'm not a stranger anymore."

Kurt stared at him for a good while, trying to decide what to do. He was too far from home now to walk back, he would get sick in the cold and that was the last thing he needed for Christmas. Maybe he didn't care about traditions anymore and wasn't excited about the holiday, but he wanted to see his father and friends and he wouldn't be able to do so if he was sick. Besides, the man – Blaine – seemed genuinely sorry, he didn't look like a bad person and if he lived near...

"Kurt" he introduced himself shortly.

"It's nice to meet you, Kurt" Blaine smiled.

"Sure. Now show the way. I'm cold" Kurt said.

"Of course" Blaine nodded and went back to grab his dangerous Christmas tree again.

~ o ~

Blaine's apartment… well, it was a strange place. It was small, barely enough for one person and it was a mess. Kurt couldn't take a single step without worrying about bumping into something. On the top of that, the place was fully decorated with every possible Christmas color.

"I love Christmas" Blaine explained.

"I can tell" Kurt muttered.

Blaine brought the tree to the middle of the living room, Kurt completely forgotten, and tried to push it into the Christmas tree stand. Kurt watched him with a raised eyebrow for a while, but when it became clear that Blaine forgot about his wet clothes, he stepped forward.

"Uhm, Blaine…"

"Just a second!" Blaine said. He cut through the rope around the tree and stepped back to see as it got back its original form in the next seconds. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Kurt jumped back just in time to avoid a twig that seemed like it wanted to hit him again. As if the tree was against him. He knew that it was insane but Blaine's tree was simply dangerous.

"Right" he said. "Can you give me dry clothes or not?"

"Oh. Oh! I forgot about that!" Blaine said and disappeared in another room Kurt hadn't noticed before.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kurt shook his head. This guy was so strange.

As he waited for Blaine to come back, he looked at the Christmas tree. It was a nice one, not too big but seemingly healthy. With the Christmas decoration, it would look amazing. He could have imagined a similar one in his own living room...

"Here you are" Blaine said as he walked back into the room and pushed the clothes into Kurt's hands.

Kurt looked down at the clothes, stunned. They were all red and golden and green, just like the decoration in Blaine's living room. He would never wear such colors, not together.

"I bought them last week" Blaine said excitedly. "I didn't need more clothes but then I saw the Christmas selection and…"

"They look warm" Kurt said. And nobody would see them under the coat. They would make it.

"That's right!" Blaine nodded.

Kurt unbuttoned his coat and looked around awkwardly. Blaine was still just a stranger, he didn't want to change clothes in front of him, not even if he wouldn't see too much of him anyway. Blaine seemed to see that his presence was unwanted in that moment, so he quickly turned around and promised not to watch until Kurt was done. Kurt quickly changed clothes and tapped Blaine's shoulder to let him know that he was done.

Blaine turned around and a huge smile appeared on his face.

"You look amazing!" he shouted excitedly.

Kurt looked down at the red-golden sweater and the huge dark green scarf. His look was far from amazing.

"I look like a Christmas elf" he sighed.

"I might have a red cap somewhere…"

"No!" Kurt said quickly. "No, thanks. I think it's enough. Thank you again. I'll return your clothes as soon as I can."

He thought that they were done here but Blaine stopped him before he could leave.

"Let me buy you a coffee" he said.

Kurt turned around, not hiding how surprised he was.

"I'm really sorry about your clothes" Blaine explained. "You were drinking that gingerbread flavored coffee when I bumped into you, right?"

"How do you know?" Kurt frowned.

"You still smell like gingerbread" Blaine smiled.

"Okay. I have to go."

"No, please, wait!" Blaine said quickly. "I'm not crazy, I swear. Overenthusiastic, maybe. But can you blame me? It's almost Christmas!"

Kurt slowly turned back around and looked into Blaine's eyes. Those beautiful golden eyes practically begged him to stay and he found himself unable to say no. Blaine was so nice. And hot, Kurt silently added. He couldn't ignore that important point.

"Okay" he said.

"Okay?" Blaine asked back.

"You can buy me a coffee" Kurt smiled. He wasn't angry anymore and the clothes didn't seem to bother him that much either. Now that he thought about it, they looked quite good. And they were comfortable and warm. He should thank Blaine for them.

He didn't, though, it just wasn't his style. But he pulled on the coat Blaine offered him – another green piece that suited the scarf and covered the red sweater – and checked his look in the mirror. It wasn't that bad. Green was his color, it matched his pale skin and blue eyes.

"You look amazing" Blaine told him.

"Thanks" Kurt said quietly. Was he blushing? That was weird. He was used to compliments. Blaine seemed to be honest, though, and it made his heart beat faster.

They walked back to the coffee shop in silence. Kurt tried not to look at Blaine too often, although he felt like he should. Now that Blaine wasn't hiding behind a Christmas tree and Kurt wasn't busy with his wet clothes, he had time to check the man. Blaine was dressed in bright colored clothes, more than Kurt, but they didn't seem too extravagant. There were people who looked great in anything and it seemed like Blaine was one of them. He must have known that because he walked around with confidence. Kurt also noticed that Blaine smiled a lot. As they walked down to the square to get their coffees, Blaine pointed out small things that didn't seem important at first and laughed. Kurt usually found this kind of enthusiasm annoying but Blaine was simply cute as he pointed from one thing to the other.

"Look at those lights! Aren't they beautiful?"

"Oh, I love the music!"

"What is this smell? Hm, I'm hungry!"

Kurt soon found himself laughing, too. He rarely came out here and practically never before the holidays because the crowd frustrated him. And because Christmas had lost its magic so many years ago. At least so he had thought. Because now that he was here and Blaine showed him everything, he slowly remembered how fantastic Christmas had been once. He had thought that it had been his mother making their holidays unforgettable but maybe he was wrong. Maybe Christmas itself was magical, he only had to open his eyes and see it.

Blaine seemed to be determined to show him the beauties of Christmas. They went to the coffee shop, got their coffees, but didn't stay in the warm place too long. They tightened their scarves around their necks and stepped out into the cold again.

"Have you seen the Christmas market?" Blaine asked.

"I don't go to Christmas markets. They are so crowded…"

Blaine grabbed his free hand without asking and started to pull him forward.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked.

"I can sense your awful I-don't-like-Christmas mood. We have to do something about it" Blaine said.

"I don't have to like Christmas" Kurt said but let Blaine lead him through the crowd. "I just… I don't like Christmas. Is it wrong?"

"Yes, it is" Blaine answered. "This is the best time of the year. Nobody should be sad."

"I'm not sad!"

"Seriously?" Blaine asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kurt opened his mouth but closed it again. Why would he lie to Blaine? It was pointless. The man could already see that something was wrong with him.

"I'll help you with this" Blaine reassured him and squeezed his hand before pulling Kurt through the rows of people.

Kurt already had his own thoughts about the market but Blaine was determined to change his mind. With their coffees still in their hands, they carefully made their way down the endless looking rows of stalls. Sometimes Blaine walked faster, sometimes he slowed down to show Kurt something interesting. He pointed out details like the unique decoration or pieces they should buy. Soon Kurt found himself in a very good mood and enjoyed his time with Blaine a lot.

"Oh, look at those brooches!" he said excitedly.

"That one with the blue stone would look fantastic on you" Blaine said.

"Really?" Kurt asked.

"Of course" Blaine nodded. "So good that it would be horrible if someone else bought it."

Before Kurt could stop him, Blaine reached into his pocket and pulled out a few banknotes. He took the brooch from the table and fixed it on Kurt's coat.

"I was right!" he said happily.

"I can't accept it" Kurt said quickly. He barely knew Blaine. It was too much.

"Of course you can. Come on!"

Blaine pulled him to the next stall before Kurt could protest. And the other. And the other. They walked through the whole market, sometimes they stopped for a longer time, sometimes they moved forward quickly. Blaine was so excited, he was like a child, everything made him happy, and Kurt found it so adorable. Soon he was laughing and talking endlessly. It was so easy with Blaine. Even if he barely knew the man, it felt like they had been friends since birth. Or more. Blaine made him alive again and Kurt wished this night never ended.

Once they were done it the market, Kurt tried to find another reason to stay. He didn't want to say goodbye to Blaine, he wasn't ready yet. Blaine wasn't done as it turned out, he already had another idea what to do.

"I love ice skating!" he told Kurt, already pulling him forward to their next stop. "It's just so…"

He kept talking and talking but Kurt didn't mind. He loved Blaine's voice. It made him so calm, so peaceful. And his hand was so warm… Kurt was glad that Blaine had bumped into him with that tree. It was probably the best thing that had ever happened to him.

The ice skating rink was full of people, although it was already late. It seemed like nothing bothered people here, not even the cold. Kurt could even see children along them, taking slow, careful steps or leaving their parents behind. They put their skates on and slid into the middle. Kurt felt a little insecure on the ice, it had been years since the last time he had been on the ice. Blaine put an arm around him and helped him stay on his feet.

"Look" Blaine said. His face was so close to his that Kurt could feel his warm breath on his cheek. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Kurt looked around. The first time since they had arrived, he noticed the decoration around and above the skating rink. There were about a dozen Christmas trees around them, dressed in white and silver and blue and so many more beautiful colors. The lights above them seemed like stars. It was truly beautiful.

"You're right" Kurt said. He forced himself to look away from the lights and turned to Blaine.

Blaine's face was closer to his than Kurt remembered. It was so close that their lips almost touched. The thought scared Kurt for a moment but it went away quickly. Being in Blaine's arms felt great. As if he belonged there.

"You're shaking" Blaine said. "Are you cold?"

Kurt tried to form a response but he failed. All he could think about now were Blaine's lips and how they must have tasted. He knew he had to find out.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked in concern.

"Sure" Kurt said finally. "I just…"

Kissing strangers probably wasn't a good idea. He knew practically nothing about Blaine. And he didn't know how Blaine felt. He didn't ruin the chance for a good friendship. He didn't have people like Blaine in his life but he definitely needed someone like him.

"We should move" Kurt said. "You're right. I'm cold."

Blaine nodded. He kept his arm around Kurt and helped him take a few rounds. Sometimes they stopped, so they could watch the Christmas trees for a while, then moved forward again. They spent about an hour in the skating rink in the end. When they left, Kurt bought themselves hot chocolate and they decided to take a walk and enjoy the sight along with their drinks.

"How can this place be so loud and peaceful at the same time?" Kurt wondered. There were still so many people around but it didn't bother him anymore.

"It's the magic of Christmas" Blaine shrugged.

Something fell onto his nose, something cold and wet. And white. Kurt looked up to see the first snowflakes fall from the sky and land on the coat Blaine had given him. The snowing had stopped a few hours ago but it looked like it started again.

"It's snowing" Kurt said.

"We're lucky. Christmas isn't perfect without snow" Blaine said.

"I loved snow when I was younger" Kurt said.

"Don't you love it now?" Blaine asked.

Kurt looked up at the sky and then back at Blaine. The gap between them was slowly disappearing again and Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes to see what he was thinking. He was still smiling. Maybe closing that gap between them wasn't a bad idea after all…

Kurt never answered Blaine's question. He didn't need to. His lips on Blaine's told the man more than words could have. Kurt closed his eyes and moaned as their lips finally touched, making him see fireworks. It was like in the movies. No. It was a lot more. Blaine's lips were absolutely perfect on his and he already regretted not kissing Blaine earlier. It felt so right. It felt perfect.

A loud bang made him pull apart after a while. It happened again and again with a few seconds of silence between them. Kurt needed some time to realize that it was midnight and the sound was coming from the bell of a church nearby.

"It's midnight. It's Christmas" Blaine smiled.

"Officially" Kurt said shortly because that was all he could make himself say. These few hours had been overwhelming and his brain wasn't working anymore.

"Merry Christmas, Kurt" Blaine said.

"Merry Christmas" Kurt said. "I think I'll enjoy this one."

"I hope so" Blaine said.

As they got into the second minute of the day, they were kissing again, completely lost in each other as if the world around them didn't exist anymore.

As a little boy, Kurt had had his own idea about a perfect Christmas: snowy weather, Christmas trees and lights everywhere, with hot chocolate and presents, spent with people he loved. He had been waiting for a perfect Christmas for so long.

But it seemed like he finally got what he needed.


End file.
